Zimbabwe Smallholder Organic Farmers’ Forum (ZIMSOFF)

According to the UN, about 50% of Africans rely on agriculture for a living (almost 70% in East Africa). This characterizes the importance and central role agriculture holds in Africa. Zimbabwe Smallholder Organic Farmer’s Forum (ZIMSOFF) is an agroecology movement in Zimbabwe made up of small-scale farmers. The goal of the forum is to increase smallholder farmer visibility, amplify their voices in decision- and policy making, and to contribute to sustainable developments in farming. ZIMSOFF focuses specifically on biodiversity, agrarian reform, seed sovereignty and gender equality. The movement was founded in 2002, and has grown to 19,000 active members throughout four large regions in the country in the last two decades. Moreover, ZIMSOFF is currently partnered up with multiple other movements that ensure that issues such as food sovereignty[1], land justice, and environmental justice are represented at various levels in the global food market. These partnerships are both on a national and international level. One example of a national partner initiative co-founded by ZIMSOFF is the Zimbabwe Seed Sovereignty Programme (ZSSP), which focuses on farmer-led seed sovereignty programs with a particular focus on amplifying female farmers’ voices. An example of an international collaboration is ZIMSOFF’s partnership with La Via Campesina (LVC)[2], which defends peasant agriculture for food sovereignty as a way to promote social justice. This initiative is a radical, autonomous, multicultural movement focusing on small- and medium sized farmers, landless people, rural women and youth, indigenous people, migrants and agricultural workers, representing about 200 million farmers in 81 countries.

The success of ZIMSOFF

One thing that is great about ZIMSOFF is its large gains in members in the last two decades. More importantly, over time, ZIMSOFF has been internationally recognized by various actors who fight, similarly to ZIMSOFF, for climate justice, organic agriculture, and agency of peasants. Elizabeth Mpofu, ZIMSOFF’s president, was instated as the General Coordinator of La Via Campesina (LVC), the large-scale international food sovereignty movement that was previously mentioned.

Furthermore, ZIMSOFF has produced significant results. Firstly, environmental progress has been achieved. For example, soil fertility has improved on more than 100.000 hectares of land. Secondly, improvements have been made in the area of ‘sustainable development’. Inequalities have reduced, specifically with respect to women and youth. Collaboration and cooperation between smallholder farmers have led to this result, as the program is based on values such as equity, justice, and social transformation. Women hold 14 out of the 22 seats on the National Council of ZIMSOFF. Lastly, ZIMSOFF challenges African dependence on multinational corporations (like Monsanto) and the marginalisation of small-scale farming. As Ellis argues, the focus on small-scale farming post-independence in southeast Asia turned out better than the focus on industrialization and large-scale farming in many African states.

Although ZIMSOFF is considered a success by many, ZIMSOFF’s project is criticized for its focus on indigenous and traditional ways of farming. ZIMSOFF’s preference for small scale farming that values quality over quantity is not understood universally. Concretely, opponents argue that more large-scale farming is a way for farmers to integrate into the global market, make profits, and alleviate poverty. Mpofu however argues that farmers do not pursue access to international markets, because they do not want to. Their goal, she argues, is to feed their communities, not to gain capital. Thereby, ZIMSOFF challenges dominant discourses in the development industry, as can be illustrated by this quote from a report on a speech by Mpofu:

An American agronomist who has spent his life’s research in Somalia finally asked, “I don’t quite get it. African smallholder farmers are counted among the poorest people in the world. Are you saying that you want to keep them in this state?” Mpofu replied, “Who says we are poor?”.

Authors: Jochem Delvaux and Myrthe Zondag

References

1. Chipunza, F. (n.d.). Zimbabwe Smallholder Organic Farmers Forum ZIMSOFF. Retrieved April 07, 2021, from http://www.fao.org/family-farming/network/network-detail/en/c/170898/

2. Zimbabwe Small Holder Organic Farmers' forum - zimsoff. (n.d.). Retrieved April 07, 2021, from https://www.facebook.com/zimsoff/about/?ref=page_internal

3. ZIMSOFF: Smallholder Organic Farmers' Forum. (2021, January 19). Retrieved April 07, 2021, from https://thousandcurrents.org/partners/zimsoff/

4. Zimbabwe smallholder organic FARMERS FORUM (ZIMSOFF). (n.d.). Retrieved April 07, 2021, from https://www.equatorinitiative.org/2020/04/24/solution11029/

5. 2021, 2. (2020, October 13). The international Peasants' voice : Via Campesina. Retrieved April 07, 2021, from https://viacampesina.org/en/international-peasants-voice/

6. What's In A Weed. (2018, February 16). Retrieved April 07, 2021, from https://thinkingfood.dash.umn.edu/food/whats-in-a-weed/

7. Voices For Food Sovereignty - Elizabeth Mpofu. (2019). Retrieved April 07, 2021, from https://13africanfarmers.com/elizabeth

African agriculture, transformation and outlook. NEPAD, November 2013, p. 72https://www.un.org/en/africa/osaa/pdf/pubs/2013africanagricultures.pdf

[1] For more information on food sovereignty: https://viacampesina.org/en/food-sovereignty/ [2] For more information on La Via Campesina: https://vimeo.com/27473286